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Show GO mr11 A no JJ unors. envy my companion, in spite of my own philosophy. I wouhl lmvc given up the love of a thousand mothers, to be secure of that of Mary Bastcrby. I strove to banish thougl•t, by referring to the most onlinary matters of conversation; matters, indeed, about wltich I did not care a straw. In this wny, I strove, not only to dispel my own topics of grief, but to silence those of triumph in my companion. What d id I cnrc to hear of Emmeline \V:tlkcr, and ltow she lovell h im, and l10w she cheered ]Jim, with a m~mly SJ!irit, on a journey from which otllcr and j)Crhaps fine•· damsels w~uld ltavc sottght to discourage their lovers i and how she bade hun return as soon as he had bought the lands on which they were to settle all their future lives 1 T his was ta lk no less provoking thnn unnecessary; aml it was not without some clitllculty tl1at I could divert him from it. And even then my success was only partiaL lie was for eYer getting Lack to it ngain . "And what route arc we to take, \Villiam 7" I demanded, when we had reached a point of fork in the road. "You spoke yesterday of going up by way of 'ruscaloosa. But if you can do without taking that route, it will be tlte better; it is forty miles out of your road to Columlms, :mel unless you have son~o business tltere, I sec no reason to go that way. The town IS new, and lw.s notlting worth seeing in it." . "It is not that I go for, R ichard. I ltave some money owmg me in that neighborhood. There is one Uatthcw "\Y cbbcr, who Jives a few miles on the road from Tuscaloosa to Columbus, who owes me a hundred and thirty dollars for a mule I sold ltim last spring was a year. llwve his note. The money was due five months ago, and it needs looking nfter. I don't know much of Webber, nnd tltink very little of him . 'J'he sooner I get tho money out of his hands, the better, and the better chance th~n of his }Jaying me. I'm afraid, if he st~nds off much longc::· he II stand ofr' for ever, ancl I may then ·wlnstle for my money. "You arc wise; and forty mi les is no great difl'crence to those wl1o have good horses. So speed on to the r ight. It's a rascally road, let me tell you. I have ridden it before." "I k now noth ing about it ; but, thank the stars, I care as little. W hen a man's heart is in the right place, sound an~ r-tatisfied, it matters not much what is the cond ition of the roa ROAD~IDE PIWGBI~~c.:. Gl l1c tnn·cls. One bright smile, one prC'ss of tl;e 11:utc1 from Emmeline, m:~kes all smooth, however rouglt before." I atruck the spurs into my hon'!c's fl:mks iu1patiently. Tie saw the movement, nnd, possibly, tl1e c:xpref;sion of my countenance, :md bugl1ed aloud. " 1\11, Dick, you tnkc things to he:nt too seriously. "\\'hnt if you nrc unfortunate, man 1 You nrc not the first- - you will not Lc the lnst. You nrc in a good and goaly compnny. Consolo yourself, man, Ly tnking it for granted that Mary IHlS bC'cn less wise than you thought her, and tlwt you ltayc m::~dc a more fortunate escape tltnt you c::~n well ••pprcciatc at present." u Pshaw! 1 tltink not of it," was my peevish re1Jly. ~< I.ct us talk of other matters." "Agreed. But wl•at other matte rs to tnlk of tltnt sh:tll please you, Uichanl, is beyond my knowledge now. My l1appiness, at this moment, will be sure to enter into m·crything I say; as I certainly can think of no more ngrccnblc sul,_ject. I shn.H speak of Emmeline, and tltat ·will remind you of M::~ry, however diflCrcnt mny be their respective treatmeut of us. ]f I ta lk of the land I am looking for, and resolve to settle on, you will begin to Lroocl over the solitary life in store for you ; unless, as I think very likely, it will not be long before you console yourself with some Mississippi maiden, ·who will save you the trouble of looking for l:mds, and the cost of pnying fOr t ltcm, by bringing you n comfortable portion ." "I nm 110t mercenary, "\Yillinm," wns my answer, somewhat more tClTI]lCrately spoken than usual. I had discoYcred the weakness of which I lmd been gu ilty, nnd nt once resoiYed tlwt, though I was not successful, I ·would 110t be surly. Indeed, a playful comment:~ry, which Carrington uttered nbout my santgc demeanor, brought me back to my senses. It was in reply to some uncivil sarcasm of mine. "Uush, m:~n ! hush ! Because you lmvc been bufl'ctcd, you need not be a bear! Let the Llows profit you as t l1cy do n beefstcnk, and though I would not have your tcmlcrncss increased by the process, llcavcn keep you from any increase of toughness! Forgive me, my dear fellow, for being so ltappy! I know we11 enough thnt, to the miserable, the good humor of ~no's ncigltbors is sl10er impertinence. But I am more tl1:ut a |
